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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-15709

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position on preventing young people from being exposed to alcohol marketing; reducing the presence of alcohol cues that can induce reactivity and craving in alcohol-dependent persons, and preventing influence on social norms relating to alcohol consumption in general.

Our recent consultation on restricting alcohol advertising and promotion directly references and endorses this threefold rationale as set out below:

The purpose of taking action to restrict alcohol marketing is threefold and summarised by the WHO as:

to prevent young people from being exposed to alcohol marketing (which is known to influence the decision to start consuming alcohol and to increase alcohol use)
to reduce the presence of alcohol cues that can induce reactivity and craving in alcohol-dependent persons
to prevent influence on social norms relating to consumption in general, given the negative public health, economic and social consequences of alcohol use.

Question reference: S6W-15710

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position on any link between alcohol marketing and increased alcohol consumption in children and young people.

International evidence shows that seeing alcohol marketing is associated with an increased likelihood that children and young people will start to drink alcohol or, if they already drink alcohol, drink more. This is harmful to them in both the short and long term.

This is set out, and forms the primary rationale, for our recent consultation on potential restrictions to alcohol advertising and promotion.

Question reference: S6W-15703

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that all children and young people have an alcohol-free childhood.

Our Alcohol Framework (published 20 November 2018) sets out our priorities for preventing alcohol-related harm. There is a strong focus on reducing health inequalities and protecting children and young people from alcohol-related harm.

A key action in the framework is to consult on potential restrictions on alcohol advertising and promotion in Scotland this year to protect children and young people. Our consultation, which has now closed, was informed directly by young people’s voices, gathered through projects by the Children’s Parliament and Young Scot Health Panel.

The consultation will be independently analysed before any potential proposals are put forward for consultation.

Question reference: S6W-15712

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to alcohol marketing, what its response is to the Young Scot Health Panel's recommendation to (a) prohibit alcohol-branded sports merchandise, including sponsorship on replica kits, (b) offer accreditation to "family friendly" sports venues that reduce the alcohol advertising on display, place limits on the number of alcoholic drinks a person can buy and host at least six alcohol-free sporting events per year, and (c) avoid close shots of people drinking alcohol in footage of crowds during televised sporting events.

It is crucial that the voices of children and young people are at the heart of developing our next steps on alcohol policy.

Our recent consultation on restricting alcohol advertising and promotion directly references the recommendations of the Young Scot Health Panel. It contains questions on potential restrictions on alcohol sponsorship of events as well as potential restrictions on alcohol-branded merchandise.

The consultation closed on 9 March. An independent contractor will comprehensively analyse the responses and publish a report. We will then further consider possible restrictions.

Question reference: S6W-15716

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15314 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 March 2023, how much funding has been allocated to local authorities to enable them to forgive school meal debt since 1 January 2022.

The Scottish Government has not allocated funding to local authorities specifically for school meal debt since 1 January 2022.

As referenced in the answer to question S6W-15314 on 6 March 2023, the management of debt is an issue for education authorities and their finance departments.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-14801

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a list of any disused train (a) stations and (b) lines that it is currently considering reopening.

Transport Scotland has a highly successful record of reintroducing stations and routes to the network, reconnecting and bringing new opportunities to Scotland’s communities. These include the Airdrie to Bathgate line and the Borders Railway, and most recently, the reopening of Reston Station. A new station at East Linton is expected to open before the end of this control period. Work is well underway on the Levenmouth Railway, which will enter service in 2024, reversing historical closure and returning stations and new journeys and economic opportunities to the communities surrounding Leven and Cameron Bridge.

Question reference: S6W-15903

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how much drilling equipment used by oil and gas companies has been discarded in the North Sea since 2010.

Question reference: S6W-15910

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its current position on introducing a carbon emissions land tax.

The Scottish Government is open to exploring how it can support land reform objectives using its limited powers over taxation and included a question on how these powers could be used in the consultation for the upcoming Land Reform Bill.

All responses to the consultation are currently being considered and a full consultation analysis will be published later in the spring. Any proposals on taxation will be considered in the context of the current devolved settlement and against the Scottish Government’s Framework for Tax.

Question reference: S6W-15514

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will raise the issue of the proposed Rosebank oil field development at the next meeting of the Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change Interministerial Group

Question reference: S6W-15904

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has met with (a) trade union and (b) North Ayrshire Council officials regarding the proposed Community Wealth Building Bill, and on what date the last meeting took place.

Representatives of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and North Ayrshire Council participate in the Community Wealth Building (CWB) Bill Steering Group, chaired by myself. This Group has met three times. The last meeting was held on 17 January 2023.

Separately, Scottish Government officials leading CWB development work met with the General Secretary for the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) on August 16, 2022. Scottish Government officials also presented at the Fair Work Convention on 23 February, 2023, which brings together employers and trade unions to advocate for and promote Fair Work.

Scottish Government officials last met with North Ayrshire Council colleagues to discuss the CWB Bill consultation on 16 February, 2023. Finally, The Minister is due to attend the Ayrshire CWB Commission on 24 March 2023.